happy day - happy spring

Can you smell this? This small, white flower called Alyssum makes me very happy! The smell of it is forever embedded in me. Over 30 years ago I attended West Los Angeles Community College in Culver City, California where I walked past it daily. The West Coast was home for me and my first husband John Foster, while he attended film school at USC. Both of our schools used this plant for landscaping and it was there in California where I first smelled it's sweet smell.

In 2013, John and I are divorced and I'm now married to Steven and living in Florida. We started landscaping our new home with the help of Ann Hall and I requested that we plant Alyssum! One day Steven came in from putting our boat away and said, "Something you and Ann have planted smells really good . . . " Without even thinking I knew in a heartbeat he was talking about that pretty, happy, little white flower we planted down by the dock!

Today is the first Day of Spring as well as an official "Day of Happiness". March 20 has been declared as the International Day of Happiness - a day to inspire action for a happier world. As far as I can tell, you are supposed to try to bring happiness to others especially on this day . . . I try to do that all the time!!! But I will tag this photo with happyday 2013 -click on happyday to see the other "happy day" photos. More info on this blipfoto forum discussion here.

This photo makes me happy -I hope it gives you some happiness too!

I am still attempting to take photos with manual settings and it is really working out alright. I have 2 more lessons to go for now and lots more to think about. Now . . . I did not plan this, but it seems I need a break from daily blipping. I am still taking photos most every day, but I run out of time or perhaps I should say, I devote my attention to other activities instead of blipping my photos. I am surprised at this, but listening to it and going with it. This has happened before - I needed a break for many weeks, and then I returned. So, do not worry. I am happy! I'll be back . . . . keep up your outstanding work in the meantime, I will pop in to visit you as I can ~yours creatively, lenna